The Great, Wide Wonderland Of Snow And Skiing
By Sandy Knoll, Fri Dec 9th

You've made up your mind. You've resolved (maybe again) to getmore exercise. All that's left is deciding what to choose. Whatif you wanted something you can do either indoors or outdoors,in any season, at nearly any time, and provides an all-over"workout" without feeling like you've done any work?

Think a minute: This easily describes several of the differenttypes of the surprisingly varied world of snow skiing. The imagemost people think of is standard: You get on a chairlift, dropoff easily, and ski down the slopes. You're wearing heavy,cold-weather gear and usually topple over once or twice on theway down, skis askew in the air, the biting chill of the windhitting your face.

Thankfully, the world of snow has broadened widely andhas become a year-round enjoyment for millions -- while alsoproviding an excellent source of cardiovascular exercise.

Downhill, or classical, skiing, is the picture-postcard most ofus think of when we hear the word "skiing." It usually involvesplaces like The Alps, Aspen, Telluride, or just about anywheremost jet-setters and celebrities frequent.

This is the one that involves a chairlift, and downoften-steep slopes. There is either real snow or manufacturedsnow, and you will get cold, but you'll warm up once you getgoing.

The sport is not too difficult once you get the hang of it, butit definitely will not be easy the first day you try. Actually,you can expect to fall down many times. Lessons are usually agood idea, and this type is is going to be expensive.Lift ticket prices, travel to and from ski sites, ski rentals orpurchase, and appro-priate wear, including sunglasses, are goingto cost you more financially, but the results can beexhilarating and quite fun -- again, once you catch on.

Next, there's cross-country skiing. Admittedly, this is going tobe physically challenging to most people. Here's where you doall the work yourself. There are no chairlifts to bring you upthe hills, and you must ski up on your own. But, on the flipside, you won't careen down mountains

near as steep as the onesin downhill skiing, and it's much more affordable than downhillski-ing. Trail passes and ski rentals are relativelyinex-pensive, and you probably can teach yourself -- hence, nolessons!

"Skate" cross-country is another form of cross-countryskiing that requires slightly different skis. You can actually"skate" with regular, classical skates, but skis do make iteasier. You can pick up speed by simu-lating the physicalmotions of ice skating. It's not too difficult to pick up skatecross-country, but it is harder than classical cross countryskiing, and requires more physical endurance. It is also helpfulto have clear and wider trails for this to be truly enjoyable.

If you're really the adventurous type, the ski jump, in whichyou leap from specially prepared jump slopes, will definitelytest your stamina and maneuverability. Note that this will alsotest your checkbook balance, as well as alpine skiing, which hasfewer twisted courses that permit much faster speeds, but again,it will have a more pronounced affect on your bank balance thanthe other types of snow skiing.

Snowboarding involves a single wide ski, or snowboard, no poles,and is similar to surfing. Ski experts have also now come upwith ski boarding, which employs shorter and wider skis that aregenerally used without poles. Ski boarding also offers the skiersome of the sensa-tions of ice skating or in-line rollerskating. It is usually easier to learn than classical skiing,largely because ski boards are simply more "handle-friendly."

With the comprehensive, attractive array of methods outthere today, there's something in it for everyone. Can't standthe cold? Try cross-country. Love the idea of bounding from aslope onto hard, impacted snow and hitting the ground hard andfast? Simple. Take up ski jumping. But please -- take lessonsfirst!

About the author:Sandy Knoll is the webmaster for http://www.fxsnow.com which isa great resource for all things related to snow and snowactivities. Please be sure to visit the site athttp://www.fxsnow.com